Ball catching training device and method

ABSTRACT

A ball catching training device and method are provided. The device is formed of two horizontal bands connected to one another. Each band is formed to include two loops. In particular, the first band of the two bands has two permanently fixed finger loops, while the other band has two permanently fixed wrist loops. The two horizontal bands are connected to one another by at least one vertical stabilizer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and device useful in training an individual to catch a ball using the proper technique and, more particularly, for catching a football.

Description of the Related Art

Many people, children especially, do not know the proper way to catch a football. Among other things, catching a football properly requires keeping one's eyes focused on the front of the ball and catching it with the fingers, and not the palms, of the person's hand. This is because it is desirable to catch the front of the ball, and not the middle of the ball. However, people, especially children, try to catch a football one-handed, or they try to catch the ball with the palms of their hands, usually by slapping the ball between their hands.

More particularly, to properly catch a football that is above a person's waist, the person must try to catch the ball in a “diamond” formed by the hands while maintaining constant eye contact with the point of the ball through the diamond. The diamond is formed by holding the hands up in front of the body with the fingers spread and palms turned inward (so that the pinkies are pointed forward, towards the incoming ball) and with the index fingers and thumbs touching, to form a diamond shape. To properly catch a low football (below the person's waist), the person must hold their hands below their waist and open their hands with their palms facing forward, fingers pointed down and pinkies touching each other to form a basket or inverted “W” shape. However, when practicing catching it is difficult for beginners to remember to use the correct hand placements when the ball is speeding toward them.

What is needed is a device and method for training an individual, and that individual's muscle memory, to properly catch a football. Training devices for football, and other sports, are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,581 to Sheppard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,833 to Groveman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,745 to Rudell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,254 to Baxter, U.S. Pat. No. 8,992,349 to Begnoche, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0324328 to Parker, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0011338 to Russotti and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0038270 to Williams, Jr.

Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,358 to Keating (“Keating”), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses football receiver training gloves for training a person catching a thrown or kicked American football to position the hands properly for effective catching of the ball. The Keating reference discloses pair of training gloves adapted to be releasably interconnected to each other by connector members which provide for restrained movement of the hands such that when the hands are placed with the palms facing outward to receive a thrown or otherwise propelled football, the hands assume the “diamond” position. Alternatively, the gloves are provided with connector members for interconnecting the gloves such that when the palms of the wearer's hands are facing outward, the gloves restrain movement of the hands so that the hands preferably form an inverted “W” position.

Keating additionally discloses significant advantage of using hook and loop fastener connecting members between the gloves of the pair of gloves is that, when substantial forces are exerted to separate the gloves, the connector members will release to allow the hands to be manipulated for other purposes, such as to continue to perform the practice routine or exercise, to break a fall, or at least to assist in regaining balance during the training exercise. See, for example, col. 6 of Keating, lines 54-62.

Thus, the Keating reference requires the use of a pair of gloves, which many children will not wear when playing. Additionally Keating requires that the gloves be releasable during use, which would permit the user to break the gloves apart prematurely, during the ball catching stage, and thus undermine the use of the training gloves.

What is needed is a device and method for training an individual to properly catch a football, which maintains the users in a desired configuration for catching a ball, and does not permit the hands to be pulled apart, in use, thus preventing the hands of the user from prematurely being released from the desired configuration before catching the ball.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems which remain in the art in a manner not previously known or contemplated. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a ball catching training device and method. In one particular embodiment, device is formed of two horizontal bands connected to one another. In another particular embodiment of the invention, each band is formed into two loops (four loops total), two loops for the index fingers of the right and left hands, and two loops for the wrists of the right and left hands. In another particular embodiment of the invention, the two loops are connected to one another by at least one vertical band. In a further embodiment, two vertical bands connect the two bands.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a ball catching training device and method, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing background, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings an exemplary embodiment that is presently preferred, it being understood however, that the invention is not limited to the specific methods and instrumentality's disclosed. Additionally, like reference numerals represent like items throughout the drawings. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views taken from the top and bottom, respectively, of a ball catching training device in accordance with one particular embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a ball catching training device, in use, according to one embodiment of the invention, on the hands of a user in a “diamond” catching configuration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view taken from the front of a ball catching training device, in use, according to one embodiment of the invention, on the hands of a user in a “diamond” catching configuration;

FIG. 4 is a top down view of a ball catching training device, in use, according to one embodiment of the invention, on the hands of a user in a “diamond” catching configuration; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a ball catching training device, from the bottom looking up, in use, according to one embodiment of the invention, on the hands of a user in a punt return catching configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before explaining the disclosed embodiment of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application only to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A-5, there is illustrated a ball catching training device 100, in accordance with one particular embodiment of the present invention. The ball catching training device 100 is useful, in the present embodiment, for training a person 10 to catch a football in a first, “diamond” catching configuration (illustrated in FIGS. 2-4) and a second, “punt return” catching configuration (illustrated in FIG. 5). The device 100 includes two horizontal bands 110, 120 and at least one vertical stabilizing band 130. In the present preferred embodiment, two vertical stabilizing bands 130 are provided, in order to steady the fingers of the user 10 and to keep the fingers from bending forward beyond a desired amount. In one particular embodiment of the invention, each of the horizontal bands 110, 120 and vertical stabilizers or band 130 are made from an elastic material that permits a slight stretching of the material, but does not permit a great amount of stretch, as will be discussed in connection with each type of band 110, 120, 130.

The horizontal wrist band 110 includes two individual wrist loops 112 which are defined in the band 110 by a “box x” stitch 114 located between the two loops 112. In use, with the users wrists 28 inserted through the loops 112, the wrist band 110 firmly keeps the forearms and shoulders of the person 10 confined to a restricted distance and movement. In one particular embodiment, the wrist band permits a limited amount of stretch (i.e., 1-2 inches) from the edge of the “box x” stitch 114 to the start of each wrist 28. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the “box x” stitched portion 114 is one inch in length, while the band 110 is about 8″ in length unstretched, and 1½ wide.

The finger band 120 is similarly constructed, but does not permit as much stretch. More particularly, the finger loops 122 are smaller than the wrist loops 112, and are positioned a predefined distance F apart. In this way, the person 10, extending their hands as illustrated in FIG. 3, can learn to position the fingers apart a preset amount that has been determined to optimize catching of the ball. The distance “F” is defined so as to secure the index fingers 16 of a user a given distance to open the “diamond” up and create enough space for the tip of the football to enter. As with the band 110, the loops 122 of the band 120 are formed using a “box x” stitch 124 to secure the loops 122 in the slightly elastic band 120. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the band 120 is about 5¾″ in length unstretched and ¾-⅞″ wide.

Additionally, in the present embodiment, the wrist band 110 is secured a predefined distance from the finger band 120 by the vertical stabilizers 130. More particularly, the vertical stabilizers 130 are connected from the top side of the wrist loops 112 of the wrist band 110 to the top side of the finger band loops 122 of the finger band 120. In addition to securing the wrist band 110 to the finger band 120, the vertical stabilizers 130 are situated so as to overlay the index fingers (as illustrated in FIG. 2) in the first catching position, to keep the index fingers steady and prevent them from being bent too far forward. The amount of bend permitted is defined by the length and elasticity of the bands forming the vertical stabilizers 130. In one particular non-limiting example in which the device 100 includes a horizontal wrist band 110 of about 8 inches in length and a horizontal finger band 120 of about 5¾ inches in length, the two vertical stabilizer bands were selected to each be about 7 inches in length unstretched, and about ⅝″ wide. Note that other lengths and widths of bands 110, 120, 130, can be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

One principle of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 2-5 of the present invention. The device 100 is provided and particularly sized to train a person 10 (i.e., the muscles of that person 10) where to hold their hands 12 and 14, in order to catch an American football. In the present embodiment, the fingers 16 or 26 of the user 10 are not touching one another, but rather, are separated by a distance “F” defined by the horizontal finger band 120 of the device 100. In order to ensure that the hands 12, 14 of the user 10 are positioned correctly, the horizontal wrist band 110 is particularly sized and has sufficient stretch to hold the users wrists 28 apart a predefined distance “W” relative to one another, permitting the tips of the user's extended thumbs to touch, or almost touch, as illustrated in FIG. 4. In one particular non-limiting example, the distances “F” and “W” are about five inches and about eight inches, respectively, when the bands are stretched to their full permissible extent.

Note that, wherein certain measurements are given herein, they are intended to be exemplary only and reflect possible sizing for an adult sized device 100. However, this is not meant to be limiting, as the sizes of the different devices 100 can be selected to accommodate differently sized people 10 (i.e., children, teens, adult men and/or adult women) without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the method of making the device 100 will now be described. First, the bands 110 and 120 begin as flat elastic bands to which the vertical stabilizers 130 are sewn using the “box x” stitches 114, 134. Sewing the vertical stabilizers to the wrist and finger bands 110, 120, prior to the formation of the loops 112, 122, ensures that the vertical stabilizers 130 are attached to only one side of the bands 110, 120. After sewing the vertical stabilizers 130 to the bands, 110, 120, the loops 112 and 122 are formed. For example, the free ends of the band 112 are folded over one another in the middle of the band 110 and secured to the middle of the band by sewing the “box x” stitch 114, thus forming the loops 112. Similarly, the free ends of the finger band 120 are folded over and sewn to the body portion of the band 120 using the “box x” stitches 124. Note that the “box x” stitches 124 on the finger band 120 are not centered on the finger band 120, but rather, are separated from one another by a predetermined distance “S”, in order to open up the players hands, when catching the ball. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the distance “S” is about 3 inches.

In use, a person 10 inserts their hands 12, 14 through the loops 112 of the wrist band 110. Then, depending on whether the person 10 will be practicing the “diamond” catching configuration (for catches made at or above the waist) or the “put return” catching configuration (for catches made below the waist), the person 10 will insert their index fingers 116 or pinky fingers 126 into the loops 122. The hands 12, 14 will then be held out in front of the person 10, with the device 100 taut. This will hold the user's hands 12, 14 in a desired configuration for catching the football with the finger tips (and not the palms) and allow the user 10 to keep their eyes fixed to the ball. Note that, because of the distance “S” in the upper band, a person 10 wearing the device 100, with the bands 110, 120 taut, as intended, will have the index fingers 16 (in the “diamond” configuration) or the pinky fingers 26 (in the “punt return” configuration) separated by at least the distance “S” (and more, depending on the elasticity of the band 120). In the “diamond” catching configuration, the thumbs will additionally be extended and, preferably, touching at the tips, to form one vertex of the “diamond”. Because the loops 112, 122 are formed by permanently stitching the ends of the loops to the bands 110, 120, the hands 12, 14 of the user 10 are not releasable from the device 100 by pulling the hands apart. Thus, the user 10 cannot accidently or intentionally release or break their hands 12, 14 away from their fixed relation to one another prematurely. Rather, the device can only be removed by intentionally withdrawing the fingers from the loops 122 and the hands from the loops 112.

Using the device 100, a user 10 can learn the correct hand placements for catching a football in the “diamond” or “punt return” configurations. Additionally, repetitive use of the device 100 during catching practice will train the muscle memory of a player to automatically arrange the hands in the desired configuration for catching the ball, even after the device 100 has been removed.

While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications, which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved, especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended. Accordingly, while a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that within the embodiments certain changes in the detail and construction, as well as the arrangement of the parts, may be made without departing from the principles of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A training device for configuring a person's hands for catching a ball, comprising: a first band forming two wrist loops, each wrist loop sized to receive a person's hand therethrough; a second band forming two finger loops, each finger loop sized to receive a single finger; and at least one stabilizer band connected between said first band and said second band.
 2. The training device of claim 1, wherein the at least one vertical stabilizer band is two vertical stabilizer bands.
 3. The training device of claim 2, wherein each of said two vertical stabilizer bands is connected between one wrist loop and one finger loop.
 4. The training device of claim 1, wherein the bands are elastic.
 5. The training device of claim 1, wherein the two finger loops are separated from one another by a predetermined distance.
 6. The training device of claim 1, wherein the two finger loops are permanently formed by said finger band and said two wrist loops are permanently formed by said second band.
 7. The training device of claim 1, wherein the wrist loops and finger loops are fixed relative one another in a configuration that holds the person's hands in a diamond catching configuration in use.
 8. The training device of claim 1, wherein the wrist loops and finger loops are fixed relative one another in a configuration that holds the person's hands in a punt return configuration in use.
 9. A method of using a training device for configuring a person's hands for catching a ball, comprising the steps of: providing a training device including: a first band forming first and second wrist loops, each wrist loop sized to receive a person's hand therethrough; a second band forming first and second finger loops, each finger loop sized to receive a single finger; and at least one stabilizer band connected between said first band and said second band; passing a first hand of the person through the first wrist loop; passing a second hand of the person through the second wrist loop; inserting a finger of the first hand into the first finger loop; inserting a finger of the second hand into the second finger loop; holding the first and second hands with the first and second bands held taut and the first and second fingers held apart; and catching a ball with the training device.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second fingers are the index fingers of the first and second hands.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the holding step further includes extending thumbs of the first and second hands toward each other.
 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second fingers are the pinky fingers of the first and second hands.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second bands are elastic.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first finger loop and second finger loop are separated from one another by a predetermined distance.
 15. A method of making a training device, comprising the steps of: providing a first elastic band; providing a second elastic band; connecting the first elastic band to the second elastic band with at least one stabilizer band; after the connecting step, folding the free ends of the first elastic band over and securing the free ends to a portion of the first elastic band to form first and second finger loops; and after the connecting step, folding the free ends of the second elastic band over and securing the free ends to a portion of the second elastic band to form first and second wrist loops.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the first elastic band to the second elastic band with two stabilizer bands.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein each stabilizer band is connected between a wrist loop and a finger loop. 